1. EU Legislative Procedures and the European Parliament

2. The political triangle of the EU
The institutional context
European Commission
Council / European Council
European Parliament
Other institutions

3. The development of the EP’s legislative functions
Treaty of Rome
Single European Act
Treaty of Masstricht
Treaty of Amsterdam
Treaty of Nice
and…The Constitutional Treaty?

4. The development of the EP’s legislative functions
Considerable growth and differentiation in material scope and procedural complexity over the years

5. The EP’s working methods
Committee structure
Rapporteur system
Coalition building and the role of political groups

6. Legislative procedures – the current situation
Assent Procedure
EP can only accept or reject
Areas of application (examples)
Structural Funds and Cohesion Funds
Uniform electoral procedure
Accession of new Member States

7. Legislative procedures – the current situation
Consultation Procedure
EP may put forward proposals for amendements.
Adoption of the act cannot be prevented nor can amendments be forced.
Areas of application (examples)
Common Agricultural Policy
Competition Policy

8. Legislative procedures – the current situation
Cooperation Procedure
Introduced by Single European Act
Leaving the last word to the Council
Reduced scope after Treaty of Amsterdam
Application:
Economic and Monetary Policy

9. Legislative procedures – the current situation
Co-Decision Procedure
Introduced by the Treaty of Maastricht and subsequently improved and extended
Main legislative procedure of the EU
EP shares legislative power with Council
Areas of application (examples)
Internal market
Freedom of movement of workers
Transport
Consumer protection

10. Addition Procedures Budgetary Procedure Procedure without Consultation
Commission transmit proposal to Council
adopts act by QMV or unanimously depending on the legal basis

11. Variations of decision-making procedures
Qualified majority voting within the Council with codecision
Qualified majority voting within the Council with simple consultation
Qualified majority voting within the Council with cooperation
Qualified majority voting within the Council with assent
Qualified majority voting within the Council without participation by the Parliament
Unanimous voting within the Council with codecision
Unanimous voting within the Council with assent
Unanimous voting within the Council with simple consultation
Unanimous voting within the Council without participation by the Parliament

12. The Constitutional Treaty
Simplification of legislative procedures
Codecision procedure is becoming the “ordinary legislative procedure”
Consultation and assent procedures are brought together under “special legislative procedures”
Bridging Clause aimed at extending the scope of QMV and